The Legal Column: Disabilities Act Applies to Many

In August of 1990, President Bush
signed one of the most far-reaching
pieces of civil rights legislation to be
enacted since the 1964 Civil Rights
Act. The Americans With Disabilities
Act (ADA) will have a drastic
impact on all employers, including
contractors and other light construction
professionals.
The ADA extends the remedies
provided by the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of
1973. While present federal civil
rights laws prohibit most employers
from discriminating on the basis of
sex, race, color, national origin, or
religion, federal disability laws such
as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
have generally applied only to
employers who performed contracts
for the federal government or who
otherwise received federal funds.
The ADA, however, extends the
scope